Oconee County nets 238 jobs in past 12 months

October 21, 2013

Emphasis on economic development in Oconee County may be beginning to bear fruit.

Figures provided by the county Economic Development Commission Thursday showed there are currently 22,151 jobs in the county – an increase of 238 in the past 12 months. Richard Blackwell, executive director of the commission, said the increase comes despite the loss of nearly 400 jobs as a result of downsizing as the Covidien plant near Seneca moves to Costa Rica by 2015. David T. Young, a Covidien spokesman, said the company has about 200 employees remaining on the site out of the nearly 600 employees that were working at the plant when officials announced in September 2012 that the plant was closing.

Still, the county is up in job creation.

“This has been the busiest year we’ve had in economic development,” County Administrator Scott Moulder said.

Blackwell said he expects announcements by at least two other companies before the end of the year that will add another 200 jobs or more in the county.

Read the full article online from Upstate Today.